1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packages for surgical sutures, and more particularly to packages for multiple strands of sutures which allow single strand dispensing.
2. Description of Prior Art
In many surgical procedures, the surgeon employs a large number of sutures in making the wound closure. Suture manufacturers recognized this practice and offer many sutures in multistrand packages. This is a matter of convenience to the surgeons and operating room personnel in that they are required to open fewer packages and the multistrand packages serve to keep individual sutures from becoming scattered during the course of the operation.
One problem associated with multiple suture packaging has been to provide a means for allowing individual sutures to be removed from the packages without entanglement. In other words, the multistrand suture package must provide for single strand dispensing. This characteristic of the package has been obtained heretofore by providing individual compartments within the package for each suture as illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,857,484 and 3,759,376. An alternative method is to provide a single channel or tube for the length of the sutures as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,280,971, 3,338,401 and 3,972,418.
The present invention is concerned with multistrand suture packages of a novel type wherein the suture strands are neither placed in individual compartments nor contained in a single channel or tube, but which nevertheless, allow for single strand dispensing. Moreover, the packages of the present invention are easily loaded by hand or machine and may be used with either needled or unneedled sutures. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved package for multiple strands of surgical sutures which provides for single strand delivery.